Independent Chair

• Independent Chair role with a successful Australian energy-market services busin
• Guide governance, strategy and shareholder alignment through the next phase
• Melbourne preferred; exceptional east-coast candidates considered

• Independent Non-Executive Chair

A highly successful Australian energy-market services business is seeking an independent Chair to lead its Board through the next stage of growth. The company supports the supply side of the energy transition, working across scheduled, semi-scheduled and non-scheduled assets, with particular exposure to variable renewable generation and batteries.

The business has an established market position, an experienced management team and real commercial substance. The next step is to protect and grow that base while making careful decisions about diversification, investment and the capabilities the company will need in a changing National Electricity Market.

The Chair will provide independent leadership to a shareholder-appointed Board and build a candid, constructive relationship with the CEO. The person appointed will understand the NEM well enough to test strategy and risk in context, while remaining clear that the Board governs and management runs the business.

The Role

• Board Leadership - Chair four scheduled Board meetings each year, setting focused agendas and turning discussion into clear decisions, owners and dates.
• Governance - Improve the quality and timeliness of Board papers, minutes, resolutions, action follow-through and the annual Board calendar.
• Chair and CEO Relationship - Establish a practical working protocol with the CEO covering cadence, agenda setting, escalation, information flow and role boundaries.
• Shareholders and Independence - Provide a neutral centre of gravity between shareholders, directors and management, including where related commercial interests or conflicts need to be managed.
• Strategy and the NEM - Lead a disciplined Board process to test strategic options, capital allocation, risk and diversification using current, practical NEM judgement.
• Board Development - Help the business move over time towards a more skills-based Board and lead proportionate Board, director and CEO effectiveness reviews.

The first year will involve more than attending meetings. The Chair will initially meet directors, relevant shareholders and management, work closely with the CEO and Company Secretary, and establish the Board's operating rhythm. CEO contact is expected to be weekly or fortnightly for the first six to eight weeks, moving to monthly and then a lower agreed cadence as the relationship settles.

About You

You will have chaired a Board, served as a senior independent director, or held an equivalent Board-leadership role in a private, shareholder-led or similarly complex organisation. You are comfortable dealing with strong views and difficult issues without becoming adversarial, and you know how to challenge a CEO and fellow directors while staying outside management.

You will bring:

• Current and sufficiently nuanced knowledge of the Australian NEM to test strategic and risk assumptions beyond broad energy-transition narratives.
• Sound commercial judgement gained in a smaller or mid-sized profitable business, including decisions about investment, growth and diversification.
• Experience managing shareholder disagreement, actual or perceived conflicts, related-party interests and sensitive CEO relationships.
• The capacity for a more intensive first-year establishment phase and reasonable availability for off-cycle matters.
• AICD qualification or equivalent governance education would be helpful, as would experience in Board renewal, transaction readiness or strategic diversification.

Relevant sector experience may have been gained through operational energy assets, trading, bidding, dispatch, renewable generation, batteries, hybrid assets, system services, market operations or an adjacent part of the sector. Deep technical specialisation is not essential. The important part is knowing which questions to ask, and recognising when an assumption needs to be tested.

Why This Role?

This appointment provides an opportunity to help shape the governance and strategic direction of an established energy-market services business as the NEM continues to evolve. The Board will be considering how the company develops its existing business, assesses adjacent opportunities and builds the capability required for its next phase. The Chair will help the Board approach those decisions with independence, commercial discipline and a clear view of the market context, while leaving implementation with the CEO and management.

Appointment Details

The appointment is for an initial 12-month term, with formal reviews at six and 12 months. Melbourne is preferred, although candidates elsewhere on the east coast will be considered where regular in-person engagement is practical.
Applications are welcome from candidates with relevant NEM, commercial and governance experience. Assessment will focus on judgement, independence, sector understanding and the ability to work effectively across shareholders, directors and management. Relevant experience may have been gained through different career and Board pathways; candidates do not need to meet every desirable criterion to be considered.

Ready to apply?

Please select "Apply Now" to submit an updated CV or Board profile.
If you would like more information or a confidential conversation about the role, please contact Scott Robinson at scott@phillipriley.com.au or on (07) 3187 5672.

Phillip Riley Group recognises the value of equal employment opportunity and is committed to fairness, equality and diversity. Applications will be considered without regard to race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status or disability.